How to Have a Healthy Pet: A Guide to Prevention and Well Care
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This is especially true if you have a four-legged friend in your life. As veterinary care costs are increasing with the use of modern technology to diagnose and treat your pet, there are quite a few things you can do for your pet on a regular basis to keep them healthy, happy and free from nasty and costly diseases.
“Preventative Medicine” costs less than treating the disease and can turn your pet into a vibrantly healthy critter who rarely, if ever, gets ill. By following a few simple principles of good health, your pet can benefit in ways you may never have imagined: Less shedding, more energy but less hyper, healthy digestive system, fewer infectious diseases, less risk of cancer, diabetes and other serious diseases, and a longer natural lifespan.
10 Principles of Preventative Medicine for Pets:
Feed the least processed and most wholesome food you can find for your pet.
Use ratios of ingredients that are lower in carbohydrates and higher in vegetables and protein sources; nutrient ratios that are appropriate for your pet’s individual needs.
Add healthy oils such as fish oil, algal oil, krill, flax seed oil or flax seed meal, and/or hemp seed oil daily in your pet’s meals.
Give daily probiotics containing adequate microbial counts of beneficial bacteria and/or yeast.
Train your pet to come when called and to mind you. This will help to prevent your pet from running out in the street and getting into an accident, which can be hazardous to your pet’s health.
Use plant- and fruit-based antioxidants on a daily basis.
Add immune-enhancing agents such as medical mushrooms, beta glucans, colostrum, aloe vera, herbal compounds based on existing problems or risks of exposure to your pet.
Give minimal vaccinations based on your pet’s risk of exposure to diseases that are protected by vaccination; use vaccine titers to determine if your pet needs revaccinations.
Use Heartworm preventatives during mosquito season in areas where heartworm risk is present.
Brush your pet’s teeth daily to three times weekly to prevent the development of dental disease and the need for anesthesia-based dental cleanings.
It’s a long list but not that difficult to achieve once you learn how to fulfill each of the ten points listed.
Adapted from nurseyourpet.com, Dr. Robert Silver, DVM, CVA, and Dr. Gabby Varcoe, DVM, CVA
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